The undead armies of the Lich King have been vanquished, and the campaign in Northrend has come to an end. Now Azeroth faces a new threat, as Deathwing the Destroyer has burst forth from the heart of the Maelstrom, unleashing widespread devastation upon Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. As the world teeters on the brink of destruction, champions of the Alliance and Horde must embark on a quest that will take them from the World Tree to the bottom of the Great Sea to the elemental planes themselves, looking for a way to bring an end to Deathwing’s reign of ruin.

World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is now live and available at a store near you -- or you can click here to upgrade directly through Blizzard. Featuring new zones, unique dungeons, hundreds of new quests, an increased level cap of 85, and two new playable races -- worgen and goblin -- Cataclysm provides a huge variety of content for new and returning players. The expansion is available in both a standard and Collector's Edition. To learn more, check out the press release, visit our Cataclysm game information page, or check out the game guide to get started.

Check out the full roundup after the break!

Developer Interviews

Looking for something to do while waiting in your server's queue? Check out some of the many recent interviews with World of Warcraft developers as they talk Cataclysm and the future of the game!

Explorer's League Journal: Entry IV

Welcome to World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, adventurers! Azeroth is positively buzzing with activity, so grab your shovels and let's dig into the latest community and game developments.

A New Age Has Begun

Official Cataclysm Information Page - World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is now live on all realms! To learn more about this expansion or quickly share the latest cinematic trailers, gameplay demos, and feature highlights with your friends, head on over to our brand new Cataclysm mini-site. It's hot-hot-hot!

Midnight Launch Photos - The first batch of photos from our official launch events in Europe is starting to trickle in. Check out how our friends across the pond counted down to the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and be sure to stay tuned for more coverage from our other event locations across the globe.

Or, if you're relatively new to Azeroth, be sure to check out our brand-new Beginner's Guide, featured exclusively on the World of Warcraft community site. This five-chapter manual will walk you through the basics of gameplay including (but certainly not limited to) character creation, questing, inventory management, parties, guilds, and class specialization.

Gameplay First

Recent Hotfixes - The latest patch 4.0.3a hotfixes have been announced. Be sure to give these updates an extra careful perusal, as Cataclysm-specific fixes are now listed. Check back for further updates!

Experience Gains 1-85 - We recently made a change to how experience is calculated. To learn how this adjustment may affect your gameplay, head on over to the community forums.

Zone and Dungeon Progression Flow Chart - To help guide you on your journeys over the mountains and through the woods of Azeroth, our friends over at Ten Ton Hammer have put together an excellent zone and dungeon flow chart. Planning out your level 80-85 adventures has never been simpler.

Ancient of Lore

"Heart of War" - In the coming months, we'll be releasing short stories that will peer into the hearts of legendary heroes and offer insight into what new trials might lie ahead as they lead their people in a world forever changed by the Cataclysm. The first story of this series, "Heart of War," offers a glimpse into the experiences that have shaped Garrosh into the leader he is today.

"The Story So Far..." Part II - Learn more about the grave happenings across Azeroth in our second installment of The Story So Far... "Heralds of Twilight."

Be sure to check back soon for our next journal entry. In the meantime, travel safe and have fun!